Signal device



Jan. 9, 1962 E. M. ASBURY 3,016,035

SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1959 INVENTOR.

EDWARD M. ASBURY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,016,035 SIGNAL DEVICE Edward M. Asbury, 415 Burton Drive, Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed Oct. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 844,487 4 Claims. (Cl. 116-63) This invention relates to a roadway signal device and more particularly to a portable roadway signal device employed to warn motorists of abnormal or dangerous conditions existing on roadways.

One of the principal uses of roadway signal devices today is to alert motorists to recently painted lines on the roadway such as the well-known double no-passing lines and the lateral cross walk lines. Immediately after the paint is applied to the roadway, the signal devices are positioned at spaced intervals adjacent the recently painted line to thereby alert the motorist of the wet paint so that vehicles will avoid running over the lines.

With my invention I provide a signal device that can not be propelled in a lateral direction by a vehicle passing over it.

Further, my signal device includes a new and improved vertical staff that has a flexible portion that permits the staff to return to a vertical position after it has been passed over by a vehicle tire without damage to either the staff or the base member.

Accordingly, the principal object of my invention is to provide a portable roadway signal device that is safe to use and that will not be propelled laterally when run over by a moving vehicle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a roadway signal device having a semispherically shaped base portion and a vertical staff with a flexible portion which permits the staff to return to a vertical position after being run over by a vehicle, without damage to either the vertical staff or the base portion.

A further object of my invention is to provide a roadway signal device that has a new and improved means of securing the vertical staff to the base member.

Another object is to provide a portable roadway signal device that is safe to use, economical to manufacture and simple to assemble.

Other objects and advantages of my invention reside in certain novel features of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my portable roadway signal device.

FIGURE 2 is a view in section taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating the base member and the means for securing the flexible portion of the vertical shaft to the base member.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the base member and the numeral 12 generally designates the staff secured to and extending vertically from the base member 10. The warning flag 14 is secured to and extends from the vertical staff 12.

The base member 10 has a general overall shape of a segment of a hollow sphere with a planar road contacting surface 15. The base member 10 is constructed of metal or other material of sufiicient gauge to permit it to retain its semispherical shape after being run over by avehicle.

The base 10 has a central circular recessed portion 16 with an upwardly extending staff receiving portion 18. The recessed portion 16 has an outwardly flared side wall 20 that smoothly merges with the base member top wall 22 defining an annular lip 21 on the top wall 22. The upwardly extending staff receiving portion 18 is tubular in shape and has an inner cylindrical wall 24 and a top Wall 26 that terminates below the base member top wall 22 adjacent its juncture with the recessed portion side wall 20. The tubular staff receiving portion is spaced from the central recessed portion side wall 20.

The vertical staff 12 has a lower portion 28 and an upper portion 30. The lower portion 28 is flexible and is preferably formed of a concentrically wound coiled spring that has an outer diameter slightly smaller than. the inner diameter of the base member upwardly extending stafl receiving portion 18. The stafi upper portion 30 has an outer diameter approximately the same size as the inner diameter of the lower portion 28 and is inserted into the staff lower portion 28 and secured thereto by any suitable means. The staff lower portion 28 is inserted into the upwardly extending staif receiving portion 18 and is fixedly secured therein by means of the pin member 32. The pin member 32 has a diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the cylindrical stafl' lower portion 28 and is urged into the cylindrical staff lower portion 28 from the under side of the base member 10 thereby wedging the staif lower portion 28 in the base member upwardly extending receiving portion 18.

The base member 10 having the shape of a segment of a sphere provides little obstruction to a vehicle tire so that when it is run over by a vehicle tire it is unlikely that the signal device will be propelled laterally by the vehicle tire. With the upwardly extending staff receiving portion top wall 26 being located below the base member top wall 22 and the central circular recessed portion 16 having an outwardly flared side wall 20 in spaced relation to the staff receiving portion 18, the staff lower portion 28 when deflected by being run over by a vehicle tire, will not be pressed against any sharp edges of the base member.

Accordingly, my invention provides an improved sig nal device that is not easily damaged and provides desired safety features.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle, preferred construction and mode of operation of -my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically i1lus-/ trated and described.

I claim:

1. In a portable roadway signal device the combination comprising a base member having a semispherical. upper surface and a planar road contacting lower sur-- face, said base member having an upwardly extending; central circular recessed portion and a central staff re-- ceiving portion, said central recessed portion having an: outwardly flared side wall spaced from said upwardly extending stafi receiving portion, said central recessed portion and said base member upper surface having a. smooth, curved, annular lip portion therebetween, said annular lip portion spaced from said upwardly extending staff receiving portion, and a staff member having a. rigid upper flag receiving portion and a lower flexible securing portion, said flexible securing portion fixedly secured in said base member upwardly extending stafi receiving portion and extending upwardly therefrom.

2. In a portable roadway signal device the combination comprising a base member having a semispherical upper surface and a planar road contacting lower surface, said base member having a central circular recessed portion with an outwardly flared side wall defining a smooth, annular lip portion in said base member upper surface, said base member recessed portion having a tubular stalf receiving portion extending upwardly therefrom in spaced relation to said recessed portion outwardly flared Side wall and said annular lip portion, said tubular stafi receiving portion having an inner cylindrical wall and a top wall, said top wall terminating below said annular lip portion, and a staff member having a rigid upper flag receiving portion and a lower flexible securing portion, said flexible securing portion flxedly secured in said base member tubular stafi receiving portion and extending upwardly therefrom.

3. In a portable roadway signal device the combination comprising a base member having a semispherical upper surface and a planar road contacting lower surface, said base member having a central circular recessed portion with an outwardly flared side wall defining a smooth, annular lip portion in said base member upper surface, said base member recessed portion having a tubular staff receiving portion extending upwardly therefrom in spaced relation to said recessed portion outwardly flared side wall and said annular lip portion, said tubular stafi receiving portion having an inner cylindrical wall and a top wall, said top wall terminating below said annular lip portion, a staff member having a rigid upper flag receiving portion and a lower flexible securing portion, said lower flexible securing portion comprising a coil spring, said coil spring having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of said base member tubular stafi receiving portion, said coil spring lower end positioned in said base member tubular staff receiving portion, and means to wedge said coil spring lower end against the inner cylindrical wall of said tubular staff receiving portion to thereby secure said staff member to said base member.

4. In a portable roadway signal device the combina- 'tion comprising a base member having the shape of a segment of a hollow sphere with a semispherical upper surface and an annular planar road contacting surface,

said base member having a central circular recessed portion with an outwardly flared side wall defining an annular lip portion in said base member upper surface, said base member recessed portion having a tubular stafi receiving portion extending upwardly therefrom in spaced relation to said recessed portion outwardly flared side Wall and said annular lip portion, said tubular staff receiving portion having an inner cylindrical wall and a top wall, said tubular stafi receiving portion top wall positioned below said base member upper surface adjacent its juncture with said recessed portion side Wall, a staff member having a cylindrical rigid upper flag receiving portion and a lower flexible securing portion, said lower flexible securing portion comprising a coil spring, said rigid cylindrical upper flag receiving portion having its lower end positioned within one end of said coil spring, means to secure said upper flag receiving portion to said coil spring, said coil spring having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of said base member tubular staff receiving portion, said coil spring other end portion positioned in said base member tubular staff receiving portion, and a pin member having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of said coil spring, said pin member positioned in said coil spring other end portion to thereby wedge said coil spring other end portion against said staff receiving portion inner cylindrical wall and thereby securing said staff member to said base member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,805,095 Horni May 12, 1931 1,828,892 Felton Oct. 27, 1931 2,521,496 Worhun Sept. 5, 1950 

